BOSTON — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba returned to their homeport in Boston Saturday following a successful 52-day deployment in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

During the patrol, Escanaba’s crew steamed more than 11,200 miles, successfully transited the Panama Canal for the first time in more than 10 years, and interdicted 1,009 kilograms of cocaine, two vessels, and five narcotic smuggling suspects.

Escanaba’s crew worked in partnership with an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from the Coast Guard’s Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron, based out of Jacksonville, Florida, to pursue and conduct boardings of eight vessels in five cases.

“Our crew’s performance during this deployment was superb,” said Cmdr. Patrick Peschka, the Escanaba’s commanding officer. “We disrupted transnational organized crime networks and kept several tons of illegal drugs from reaching the United States and partner nations by using the Coast Guard’s unique authorities and capabilities as a law enforcement agency and military service. Our efforts directly supported the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy and the National Drug Control Strategy.”

The Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba (WMEC-907) is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Boston. The keel was laid April 1, 1983 at Robert Derecktor Shipyard Incorporated, Middletown, Rhode Island.

The new Offshore Patrol Cutter contract has been awarded and will feature state-of-the- market technology and will replace the service’s 270-foot and 210-foot medium endurance cutters, which are becoming increasingly expensive to maintain and operate.